Jap

[Rex W. Stocklin]

At 3:49 PM -0500 5/20/05, Bill Mullins wrote:

>  Jap -- slur for Japanese -- OED has ca. 1880

In my halcyon days of early adulthood, I was a manager of a Chi-Chis
Mexican Restaurante. in the kitch's of many a cantina the word jap is
slang for jalapeno. An order, say, for a Mexican pizza would come
back to the line and with it, the request to "hold the japs". I once
experienced a very uncomfortable scene in the dining room, when one
of the servers had exclaimed, let's just say NOT sotto voce, that her
entire 6-top (restaurantese for a table with 6 diners) wanted lots of
extra japs all around. Not 10 feet away sat an Asian couple of
arguably non-Chinese persuasion, if you get my drift. The man looked
me in the eye then gracefully looked away with a nod. I'm not so sure
that he understood the context, as he was just doing that saving face
thing. When the plates popped and I escorted them to the table, I was
trying to decide how to show the couple the peppers and gracefully
explain our lingo, but knew that would have been unbelievably awkward
and even insulting to the pair. Thankfully, they had finished and had
left before my server arrived. Whew!


Lexy Rexy
Fishers, IN